


How to Train Your Duelist

by miscellanium



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Babysitting, Developing Friendships, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-02-17
Packaged: 2018-03-15 05:56:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3435968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miscellanium/pseuds/miscellanium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is fine. He knows how to handle small children. This is fine. He'd had them eating out of his hand before and he can do it again. Shingo kneels down, looking each of them in the eyes with a smile. They don't smile back but they don't run away, so, that's a start.</p><p>[for the ygoanonmeme prompt "shingo getting along with the you show kids (or at least he's trying)"]</p>
            </blockquote>





	How to Train Your Duelist

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted under the title of "trust me".

Shingo knows You Show Duel School is a wreck compared to LDS, but even so he didn't expect thick smoke to come bursting out when he opened the front door.

"Oh crap, he's here!" Yuuya's voice comes from somewhere nearby, followed by a pair of hands emerging from the fog and slapping Shingo on the chest. "Is that you?"

Shingo takes a step back, watching with raised eyebrows as Yuuya stumbles out of the building. "What's the point of those ridiculous goggles if they're not even useful?"

"Somebody as shallow as you wouldn't understand," huffs Yuzu, who'd followed close behind with the three preteens in tow. She pointedly turns her back on Shingo. "Yuuya, can you watch them? I need to go find the parts Dad wants."

"Hey, wait a minute, who's gonna run the Solid Vision system?" Shingo raises his voice over the rising din of coughing and cursing coming from inside. "Unless that's what's broken. If you made me come all the way out here on such a fine day—"

Yuuya laughs, sharp and quick. "I didn't make you do anything. You're the one who said LDS was all booked up so we'd have to duel somewhere else." Shingo scoffs, crossing his arms, but Yuuya goes on as though he hadn't heard anything. "Our Solid Vision system is fine, it's the projector we use for classes that's…under maintenance."

One of the kids bounces on his feet. "We can run the system! It's fine!"

"Thank you, Tatsuya." Yuuya crouches down and ruffles his blue hair. "I'm sure you'd be great, but you haven't had much practice with it yet. Maybe next time, all right?"

Shingo had never paid much attention to those kids who tagged along everywhere; he vaguely remembered them from the first time he'd dueled Yuuya, with the Dark Town field—oh. Is that why they're huddled so close to Yuzu?

"Hey, kids. I saw your Maiami Championship duels, whew! Getting pretty good." He's lying through his teeth, of course, but his teeth are perfect and so he knows everybody will be dazzled by his charming grin.

The children stare at him. "Yuzu, can we go with you?" The girl asks, curling her hands into her skirt.

"It's too far, Ayu." Yuzu glares at Shingo. "Can you stay with Yuuya?"

Just then a man bellows, "Yuuya! I need your burning determination and small hands!"

"Yes, sir!" Yuuya calls back. He shrugs at Yuzu, then at Shingo. "Sorry. Hey, since you're here, Sawatari, could you watch them?"

"Uh—"

Yuzu's off, practically running, and Yuuya winks at him before vanishing into the school.

This is fine. He knows how to handle small children. This is fine. He'd had them eating out of his hand before and he can do it again. Shingo kneels down, looking each of them in the eyes with a smile. They don't smile back but they don't run away, so, that's a start.

"Why are you here?" It's the fat kid who says this, scowling.

"Didn't you hear? To duel Sakaki Yuuya," Shingo says, still smiling even though his knees are starting to go sore from the concrete sidewalk.

"But why did he invite you? You keep trying to hurt him."

Shingo takes a deep breath. "What's your name?"

"Futoshi." Ayu and Tatsuya move behind him, like a shield, and Shingo grits his teeth.

"Okay. Futoshi. Dueling is how we learn about ourselves and each other, right?" After a long pause, the kids nod. "Well, Sakaki asked me to duel him because he wants to become a better duelist and a better person. Obviously, he knows I'm the only one good enough to give him the challenge he needs! And he wouldn't ask me if he didn't trust me. If Sakaki trusts me, you can trust me, right?" He's not actually sure how much of this he believes and how much is straight up bullshit, but it sounds good and that's what matters.

They squint at him, considering this. Finally, Ayu takes a small step forward.

"Yuuya's not tall enough to help us play in the big tube. You're taller than him. If you help us play in the tube we'll forgive you."

Shingo pushes himself up. "The tube?"

Ayu points above them and Shingo realizes she's talking about the glass contraption sticking out of the building. It just looks like a walkway with a decent view—nothing complicated.

"Sure. Can you show me the way?" He starts to bow, nearly losing his balance when they all three grab his hands and pull him inside.

\----

He should have stayed in bed. Or no, Shingo thinks, he should have called Yuuya and canceled their date. What the warm spring wind would feel like in his hair if he were riding his bike right now, going to get a fresh slice of pie—

Ayu kicks him in the face again. By accident, she said the first few times, but she's not apologizing anymore. "You need to hold me higher! Geez!"

"I'm trying," Shingo mutters. A faint giggling sound comes from below but when he glances down, Tatsuya and Futoshi, holding the step stool steady, look at him with wide innocent eyes. "Look, stop wiggling for a minute!"

She complies, and with a mighty shove he launches her through the trapdoor. She squeals as she slides along the glass; he'd sigh in relief but the boys are already clamoring for their turn. As he reaches down for Futoshi there's a loud clatter from a classroom nearby and they all pause, turning to look.

"We're fine!"

Shingo shakes his head. "Is he the one who designed this place? Who the—" He catches himself. "Thought it was a good idea to have an elevated walkway without a staircase or anything?"

"I dunno," Futoshi says, before looking around and lowering his voice to a loud whisper. "I think Yuuya's dad started the school, but don't tell anybody I said that!"

Unsure what to do with this remark, because of course everybody knows about Yuuya's dad, Shingo just holds out his hands for Futoshi to grab. It's easier getting him into the walkway because they know the trick now; with two of them up there to help pull (or, more appropriately, catch), Tatsuya's turn is a cinch.

"Now you!" Ayu waves her arms, dangling out of the trapdoor as Tatsuya holds her feet.

"Ah, well—"

Tatsuya says, very seriously, "Teacher doesn't like us playing up here because he says it's dangerous, but if Yuuya trusts you then it'll be fine."

After several long seconds of standing there, stonefaced, Shingo flashes a wide smile and hauls himself up.

-

The walkway is long and has a good view, to be sure, yet somehow where they are it's smaller than it looks. Shingo starts out crouching, shuffling from side to side as the kids run and tumble, but it's easier to crawl around on his hands and knees. This is how Yuuya finds him being pulled by his tie and hesitantly barking like a dog.

"There you are!"

Shingo looks around, not quite believing his ears, but upon seeing Yuuya's head poking through the trapdoor he immediately lies down and closes his eyes.

"Aaaw, Yuuya, we were having fun!" Futoshi pouts, nudging Shingo's shoulder as Ayu tugs at his tie.

Tatsuya clambers over to Yuuya. "Did you fix the projector?"

"Almost! We're just waiting for Yuzu to come back with the new parts."

Shingo turns his head to look at Yuuya, who's leaning into the walkway with folded arms. "I thought you were too short to get up here."

"Who told you that? There's a ladder for this that comes out of the floor." His surprise comes across as real enough.

Saying nothing, Shingo draws himself up into a sitting position and dusts himself off. He's still adjusting his tie and fussing with his hair when Yuuya clears his throat.

"Y'know, the kids really seem to like you. We could use somebody else to keep an eye on them, just as backup, of course," he rushes to add. "And it'd be a good example for them to have an LDS student around, wouldn't it?" He winks at Shingo for the second time that day, and Shingo can't help but blush a little at the flattery.

"I, hm." He's not sure how much of that is genuine and how much of that is mockery but it sounds good, despite the nagging feeling of having thought that before.

Yuuya laughs. "Think about it, okay?"

"Bye! Let's play again next time!" The kids cheer as they jostle their way through the trapdoor.

Shingo raises a hand in farewell, then drops it as he flops backward. There's a part of him that enjoyed facing off against the kids (not matching wits with them, they couldn't be smart enough for that) but is he really going to admit that? A rattling sound jerks him to attention—

"Hey! Don't trap me up here!"

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! please leave kudos and/or comments if you can, they mean a lot to me


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